


It Was Real All Along

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s07e22 Leaving Storybrooke, Forgiveness, Gen, Swan Believer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 05:32:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15430050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: When Regina returns to Storybrooke, she brings to Henrys with her. Emma's first step is to apologize to the one she abandoned.





	It Was Real All Along

**Author's Note:**

> Just my take on Emma and Wish!Henry, because while Regina and him have a lot to work on...so do they...

Emma entered the room, shifting nervously from one foot to another. She saw Henry sitting there, in a way that she hadn’t seen in so long. Regina had fixed the time warp, so everything made sense and there weren’t too many versions of the same person running around. She had to remind herself, however, this wasn’t the same kid that came knocking on her door to bring her home.

 

No, this was the son she had abandoned in the Wish Realm. The son who had faced such pain as a result. She still had the memories of Wish Emma and she could remember raising him, well, as much as she did. She had been such a shrinking violet in that realm, mourning the loss of her husband, that she had barely been able to do much raising. She and Henry had been more like siblings than anything else, Snow and David taking over when things got tough. It was quite clear that she was never meant to be queen of that realm, but Henry was certainly meant to be king.

 

“Mom,” he said, softly. There was a hint of anger to his voice and she got it. Regina had tried to explain things to him as best she could and while he definitely forgave her for everything, Emma was different.

“Hey kid,” she cupped his face. “You…you look good.”

“You look different.”

Her eyes traveled down to her red leather jacket and jeans. She supposed it was a vast difference from all the pink and frills she wore when he was growing up. “Yeah…things are a lot different here.”

“Regina was trying to explain that.”

“You two are getting along?”

“As best we can. I understand that she didn’t think any of it was real, she was just trying to save you…bring you…”

 

He stopped himself short of saying home and she got that. This wasn’t home to him, at least not yet.

  
“She wants to help take care of me.”

“Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, it is. She helped save me.”

“I didn’t.”

 

Henry looked away and Emma sat beside him.

 

“I’m so sorry, kid. I didn’t think the realm was real either. I had the other me’s memories, but that’s happened before. I’ve been cursed, I’ve thought things were real when they weren’t.”

“I was real.”

“I know that now. And had I known it back then, there was no way I would’ve left you there. I didn’t want that for you, ever.”

“You just left.” His eyes met hers, filled with hurt. “You were all I had. I had already lost my father, then Grandma and Grandpa…”

“Once I found out you were real, that all of this was, I regretted it. When I gave the other you away, I wanted to make sure he had his best chance. I gave him up for adoption, so I know he’d go somewhere safe. If I had known all this time, I would’ve done the same for you. I would’ve brought you home to me.”

 

He didn’t say anything at first, he just stared at her, trying to figure out the truth and she couldn’t blame him. So much had gone on since she and Regina had left the Wish Realm, things she couldn’t even possibly imagine.

 

“I’m sorry, Henry,” she whispered. “I know that’s not enough and I’m going to spend every day I can trying to make this up to you. If you’ll let me.”

“You mean I have a choice?”

“Of course you do. Storybrooke is your home now, even when all of the realms are finally together, you can still stay here. I know you have a home with Regina, but I hope you’ll feel comfortable with me too.”

Henry slowly nodded. “The other me said he spent a lot of his time going back and forth between the two of you, that he wouldn’t change it for the world. He seems happy, so obviously it was the right choice for him.”

 

Emma let out a deep breath, pulling Henry into her arms. It took a minute, but he soon returned the hug.

 

“I love you, kid,” she whispered.

“I love you too, Mom.”


End file.
